The US can enhance trust and partnerships in Southeast Asia and change the region’s prevailing attitudes toward the great powers by focusing on three key pillars: intelligence-sharing, presence and multilateralism.
The region is home to key current and potential US allies and partners who are most vulnerable to Chinese influence and power projection, making perceptions particularly crucial during this time of great power competition.
Elites in Southeast Asia currently view China as having more influential economic, political, and strategic power than the US or any other entity, according to “The State of Southeast Asia 2023” report by the Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
Many decisions made by elites and leaders in Southeast Asia are influenced by these perceptions, so the US must work on changing how it is perceived. Fortunately, there are a few simple initiatives that can quickly alter how Southeast Asia views the US, all of which can be implemented almost immediately.
Intelligence-sharing
The US should establish an intelligence-sharing network with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, specifically with Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. This network will enable the US to quickly communicate Chinese subversive tactics with partner nations and increase transparency.
The goal is for each country to realize the benefits of multilateralism when dealing with China. Intelligence sharing will also demonstrate that the US is a reliable strategic partner with the interests of allies and partners in mind.
We can already see the success of increased information sharing through what Sealight’s Ray Powell and Dr Benjamin Goirigolzarri coined the Philippines’ “assertive transparency” initiative, where China’s aggressive tactics are exposed for the region and the world to see.
This initiative has fostered cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam and brought international attention to other Southeast Asian nations countering Chinese aggression.
Visibility of Chinese tactics and US-driven predictive analysis will encourage collaboration among ASEAN member states, providing leverage in negotiations with China that single states would not have only working bilaterally.
Being Present
The US already supports countries in Southeast Asia through various means, from foreign aid to humanitarian assistance, joint military patrols, exercises, and exchanges. Simply being present often inspires faith and confidence.
We should further integrate civilian institutions and military organizations with Southeast Asian partner nations to build interoperability and mutually beneficial relationships. The more people and governments in Southeast Asia see Americans helping them, the more likely they will recognize the benefits of expanding the relationship with the US.
However, delivering aid and being physically present is not enough; the US needs to do a better job of highlighting the support it provides.
The US does a poor job of marketing the aid it provides, its purpose and impact to other countries. I remember an occasion during the pandemic when I worked with the State Department to deliver a plane full of Covid supplies to a country in Southeast Asia, only to have it overshadowed by a Chinese public relations campaign highlighting a much smaller support package.
The benefits of the aid and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific should be communicated better to domestic audiences, the recipient country’s public and government, and the international community. Making sure countries know where aid comes from will help them remember the US as a reliable partner.
This will garner public support that could influence government decision-makers in favor of the US.
Promoting multilateralism
In 2010, while speaking to the ASEAN Regional Forum in Hanoi, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi famously declared “China is a big country and you are small countries, and that is a fact.” This veiled threat aimed to intimidate the gathered nations into falling in line with China’s wishes.
To counter this, the US must strengthen multinational organizations like ASEAN or encourage the development of what Richard Heydarian calls “minilateral” cooperation to overcome the region’s historic paralysis on important issues.
By promoting and legitimizing multilateral coordination, we help make partner nations more cohesive and less dependent on China for economic sustenance. This builds confidence in the US and increases opportunities for multilateral coordination on issues with China, leveling the playing field.
Increasing intelligence-sharing, expanding cooperation and presence, and promoting multilateralism in Southeast Asia will enhance the region’s resiliency and remind them that the US is a committed and enduring partner.
These simple initiatives will build confidence, shift perceptions in Southeast Asia and foster trust and partnership with the US, countering China’s influence in the region.
Major David Geaney is an Air Force Logistics Readiness Officer who has had multiple assignments and deployments to the Middle East and Pacific region. His articles on China have been published in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, Foreign Policy, Task & Purpose, and Defense News. He has also been a featured panelist for the International Studies Association and a guest on Air University’s Indo-Pacific Visions.
The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force or US government.
Doesn’t everyone understand that the US views SE Asian states as pieces on Brzezinski’s Grand Chessboard?